Unconventional Zombie Killers
by nickmillersturtleface
Summary: Jess and Nick take on the zombie apocalypse; you know what to expect. (Rated T for now)
1. Zombies

"_Nick and I fighting the zombie apocalypse…"_

"I still don't get how you can sing at a time like this, Jess"

They trudged through the deserted streets of Los Angeles; Nick on lookout with a gun at the ready and Jess singing so gleefully. He realised she clearly didn't know the first thing about apocalypse survival. Schmidt and Winston were waiting back at the apartment, waiting for food and water, if Nick and Jess failed on them they'd have to start living off Schmidt's collection of mango chutney.

"Why do you have to spoil my good mood?" She sighed as they searched empty alleyways and abandoned buildings for survivors.

"You're literally the only person I know who can be in a good mood when a fatal disease has swept the nation and turned almost everybody into brain-craving zombies." He replied.

The slightest sound of the wind rippling a pile of leaves sent fear down Nick's spine as he quickly pushed Jess up against a wall in an attempt to protect her. With his hand covering her mouth, it reminded him of the time they suspected one of her students was a serial killer and they did a little investigation. Once again they were in a life or death situation together. When he realised it was a leaf he let Jess go. But he still held her close, his hot and heavy breathing on her neck, his hands gripping her waist.

"This is awkward" Jess mumbled and he instantly dropped his hands, letting her go "What even was that?"

"I was protecting you"

"I think I can protect myself, Miller" She smirked as she wandered into a 7/11 in search of supplies. He watched her walk away so confidently. Nick knew she could protect herself but he felt obliged to do it for her because if he were to lose her, he would lose his mind. Somehow, when the world became so dark and gruesome she never stopped being optimistic self. And he would do anything to keep her that way.

Gradually, the sky darkened as the day faded away and Jess was relieved to think they hadn't encountered a single zombie that day. She had a not-so-secret fear of zombies but she wanted Nick to think she wasn't some weak, pathetic little girl that needed his help all the time. Having to help her would boost his ego and when you boost Nick Miller's ego you end up with a horrific failure of a zombie novel.

"How far from the loft are we?" She asked, her backpack was started to feel like a sack of rocks carried on her shoulders.

"Not too far" Nick replied, keeping his rifle close just in case. It was almost night. Zombies love the night. That's not an actual fact but he had assumed it when he was writing his zombie novel.

Suddenly, a grunt could be heard from a short distance. It wasn't a human's grunt, it was a zombie's. A marble-cold, once-human, brain-dead monster feasting on brains. Nick and Jess paused with fear and stood silently like statues. Her hand squeezed his hand as they waited and sure enough, a herd of zombies were staggering towards them. Arms outstretched feet floppy and tongues drooling.

"What do we do?" Jess hissed.

"You run, I'll deal with them" Nick prepared his rifle.

"No! You can't take on that many, Nick, I'm staying"

"Don't stay, Jess, please don't" He stared at her intently, he hoped she knew that he was putting his life on the line for her. But she shook her head adamantly like a stroppy toddler. And within a few seconds, it was too late for her to run anyway.

There were roughly twelve zombies approaching them. Nick began to fire his rifle, shooting bullets in every direction. But some of the foul monsters didn't give up easily. One hobbled towards Nick and got so close that he could feel it's ice cold skin. This was it for him. There were no more bullets left. And the thing was reaching out, it's decaying teeth trying to dig into his flesh. He decided to use the gun as a bat, whacking the zombie over the head violently and knocking it out. It was simple but it attracted another swarm of zombies that began to circle him.

Only one zombie had noticed poor, innocent little Jess with her flawless porcelain skin and rosy cheeks; looking so out of place. She took steps backwards hoping to blend into a brick wall or something but it wasn't working. Time was sparse and she was defenceless as Mr Intelligent Miller didn't trust her with a weapon. With quick thinking, she stripped a pipe off a wall and waved it in front of her like a sword that she wasn't afraid to use. Surprisingly, the zombie began to back away with amazement and a hint of fear.

"Look who can protect themself, Miller" She grinned to herself. Jess turned to Nick and noticed the circle of zombies closing in on him. The tables had clearly turned, he needed her help now. Screaming like a lunatic, she raced towards the circle of began attacking the zombies with the pipe. There was no trembling, no fear, she brutally knocked them out so confidently. Once he was freed, Nick found some more ammo in his bag and helped Jess by finishing off some of the zombies for her. Eventually, it was just them watching a grim pile of lifeless and mangled bodies.

"Did we really defeat them?" Jess whispered.

"I think we did" Nick replied "But I owe it all to you, you make a pretty good zombie-killer"

"I never knew I had it in me" She smiled"12 zombies down…"

"Another 100,000 to go"


	2. Gone

The door had been left wide open, inviting anyone or anything in. Clothes were strewn across the floor, furniture was tipped over, plates were smashed; the apartment was a scattered mess. And to make matters worse, blood was splattered in the weirdest places. There was no denying something had happened whilst Jess and Nick were out.

"Schmidt? Winston?" Nick called out, pacing the apartment whilst Jess collected some of her personal possessions from under the sofa "Are you guys around?"

"So that's where my other earring went…" Jess muttered, holding the diamond piece of jewellery.

"This isn't funny, you guys!" His voice was breaking now.

"What happened here when we were gone?" Jess asked, picking up one of her bras off the floor, unsure why it was there in the first place.

"They've gone, Jess, they've gone."

"Don't say that, have you checked everywhere?"

"Every room, cupboard, windowsill and they're not there" Frustrated, he slumped on the couch, running his hand through his hair and growling. Jess sat on the floor and watched him. Schmidt and Winston could be anywhere.

"You don't think they've…?" She whispered with fear, the thought of two of her best friends as zombies shook her to the core.

"Probably" Nick muttered before storming into his bedroom and slamming the door fiercely behind him; letting his voice echo the apartment as Jess silently sat on the floor with her head in her hands.

"_Another million have been pronounced dead in the California state alone and many have fled to shelters elsewhere in the country. The government's biggest fear is the killer mystery disease spreading worldwide…"_

Jess turned off the radio and took another sip of tea. She'd been sitting on her stool in the kitchen for the past few hours, questioning the location of Schmidt and Winston, the state of the country, they possibility of her getting infected, whether Nick would leave his bedroom. It had been silent in the apartment and she was beginning to worry. He may have just lost his two closest friends to such a gruesome ghastly disaster.

She knew that when Nick storms into his bedroom and slams the door it means he wants to be left alone but she couldn't leave him alone. Especially now that they were each other's only hope left. Opening his bedroom door just a crack, she stuck her head around and watched him sleep under the moonlight shining through his window. He was so peaceful and relaxed as if he'd closed off everything that was happening in the outside world.

"Nick?" She whispered in the dark to no response. Jess tiptoed over to his bed and slipped in, feeling the warmth of his body. She wrapped her arms around him so comfortably and rested her head against him.

"Jess?" He mumbled.

"Yes?"

"I think we should leave tomorrow, go find Schmidt and Winston, if there's any chance they're still out there…"

"And who knows? We may find Cece."

"It's a plan."


	3. Library

"This is the perfect time for slow-motion" Nick sighed as he strutted through the city in one of Winston's leather jackets, a pair of ripped jeans that he'd actually ripped himself and some really cheap sunglasses with his gun in his hand.

"Don't we look badass?" Jess grinned. She hadn't exactly grasped the concept of badass when she decided to wear her polka dot sunglasses. But her tank top, skinny jeans and heavy boots made up for it. Her low cut top was also quite distracting to one Nick Miller.

Los Angeles wasn't a pretty sight. Decaying bodies littered the path that Nick and Jess were walking along and the clunking of Jess's boots echoed around them. It was disturbingly tranquil.

"Should we check the library?" Jess asked after they checked every vandalised store in the area.

"I don't know why Schmidt or Winston would be in the library…"

"It's more likely than them being in this jewellery shop!"

"Good point, Miss Day"

"It's what I do, Mr Miller!"

"Jess, I told you, you have to call me Julius Pepperwood"

There was an eerie silence in the library, haunting and mysterious. Even with the sunlight streaming through the windows, you couldn't be sure what was lurking behind those bookcases. Most of the bookcases had been tossed around and dog-eared books surrounded Nick and Jess. Nick had a secret fear of libraries; he didn't trust them, you can never trust places where you're forced to be silent.

"Schmidt?" Nick shouted.

"Winston?" Jess called out.

Suddenly, there was a commotion from behind a pile of encyclopaedias and it wasn't Schmidt or Winston. A group of zombies arose from the ground. They were growling with hunger and Nick and Jess had come at the right time. The zombies couldn't run, they couldn't even walk, they were limping but they weren't that far from Pepperwood and his trembling companion. Instinctively, Nick grabbed Jess's hand as they raced through the library, knocking bookcases and desks over in an attempt to block the path behind them. The zombies were still chasing them, intent on catching their prey. Jess took the lead and dragged Nick into an elevator, pressing the first button she set her eyes on. There was a delay and one zombie flung itself at the elevator's closing doors.

"Too late you dumbass!" Nick jeered at the brainless thing as the doors closed and the elevator moved upwards.

Jess began to panic "We're trapped, they're everywhere, there's no way out, we're trapped"

She reached out to the panel of buttons and tried to press them all but he held her back, knowing that one of Jess's split-second decisions would do no good. The elevator stopped and the doors slid open. They stepped out and paused. Neither of them had a good plan.

"Hide?" He turned to her.

"Hide" She agreed. Nick knocked over a series of bookcases to make a pretty lame barricade whilst Jess awkwardly curled up in a ball on the floor.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"The more obvious I am the less obvious I am to them…"

"Get behind here for God's sake!"

"Fine." She reluctantly uncurled herself and joined Nick behind his bookcase defences.

"I can't believe you thought that would work"

They sat in silence for 4 minutes that felt like 4 hours. Was it really taking the zombies this long to use an elevator or to even take the stairs? Both of them assumed these were their last few moments. About time too, they'd narrowly escaped death too many times in the past week. Now this was it. Soon they'd be zombies too and the lives they once lived would be nothing but a hazy memory.

"Nick?" She whispered.

"Yeah?"

"I don't want you to get your brains eaten…"

"Me neither, Jess"

"But if you do, I want you to know I love you. I was waiting for the right time to tell you how I feel and what's more convenient than in the middle of the zombie apocalypse?"

It took a few seconds for it to sink in.

"I-" He was interrupted by the startling sound of elevator doors being forced open and a gang of zombies tumbling out. Nick and Jess froze like statues, silently counting every step the zombies took towards them. One led the pack through the library, carelessly shoving each other around like a group of immature little boys. They paused next to the bookcase barricade and started slurring to each other. It was their form of communication but it was hard to translate, they spoke drunkenly. Jess felt her heart thumping, terrified she'd be heard. And then the zombies carried on walking through the library, completely dismissive of Nick and Jess. Eventually, the sound faded away and it was just Nick and Jess.

They wrapped their arms around each other, refusing to let go. It was another narrow escape to add to their scrapbook of narrow escapes. She had him and he had her and they both had their brains intact.

"I think we should go" Jess whispered. She knew the zombies were still hanging about and could turn back at the sound of her voice if she wasn't careful.

Carefully, she lifted one of her legs over the barricade and then the other. She delicately balanced on her tiptoes to avoid being heard. The coast was clear with nobody or nothing else in sight. Nick wasn't the most graceful of people; he clambered over the barricade as quietly as you could when clambering. Yet his leg still managed to knock one of the bookcases so slightly. The squeak echoed through the library. It was practically signalling the zombies to come after them. Jess yanked Nick away from the bookcases and dragged him into the elevator.

As soon as the doors re-opened on the ground floor, they rushed out. But they were only met with more zombies that tried to grab them and bite them. Jess and Nick pushed and kicked them aside. Together, they flung the fire exit door open and ran for their lives with the zombies on their trail. They grabbed empty boxes and scrap furniture and rammed them against the door, trying to block the zombies from escaping but it was useless. The zombies were breaking through and not even a thousand cardboard boxes could hold this amount back.

Just when Nick and Jess realised they should be panicking, a familiar voice echoed from the distance.

"Need some help?"


	4. Cece

"Cece!" Jess panted, jumping into her best friend's arms with relief.

"What the hell are you doing?" Cece hugged her back.

"Schmidt and Winston…gone, everyone is a zombie, we ran out of herbal tea…" Jess was rambling on as if she was on the verge of an anxiety attack.

"Have you been taking care of her?" Cece turned to Nick and shot him down with a deadly glare. His presence had been ignored in the past 30 seconds. He always got awkward whenever he was trapped in a Jess and Cece conversation. They were quite intimidating. Maybe it was the bangs or maybe it was his fear of women in general.

It was at the moments that the library doors burst open and the mob of zombies outpoured. The sunlight was almost blinding them; distracting them. Cece tossed a small pistol to Jess, mainly because it was the only gun you could trust her with. Nick and Cece had their rifles at the ready.

"Are we gonna shoot or what?" Nick yelled and the ear-ringing shots began. Zombies fell to the floor instantly or toppled over each other like dominos. Jess's pistol was useless for shooting but it made a pretty good object to attack with. Nick was firing left, right and centre; knocking zombies down simultaneously. Cece walked briskly and confidently up to one and shot it straight in the eye without hesitation. She'd had plenty of practice over the past week.

Once the last zombie had been taken down quite violently by Jess whacking it over the head with her pistol; they laid down their weapons. An exhausted and dehydrated Nick slumped onto the ground groaning.

"We don't have time to waste" Cece muttered, kicking his body.

"All I wanted was to find Schmidt and Winston…"

Jess felt sympathetic for the guy. He wasn't as tough as he wished he was and was in no suitable physical condition to be killing zombies all day. And slowly as that confident exterior crumbled away she felt like she knew him better. She joined him on the rough, dry ground; leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Are you guys just gonna sit there and get your brains eaten or what?" Cece's words were harsh.

"Cece" Jess croaked "Can we give it a rest? These have been the most hectic 24 hours of my life. And Nick isn't well either"

"I can take you guys to my safe house, it's a wreck but Nick can get his precious rest" Cece snapped and started walking down the cobbled path that lead to the safe house. Jess took Nick's hand and helped him up as they followed Cece.

Nick wasn't sure whether he was happy about adding Jess's childhood best friend to their alliance. He was bound to by the third wheel from now on and any chance he had with Jess was slowly melting away under the sweltering sun. He would never knew if she really meant what she said in the library. Were those just words of fear? Or did she mean it? All those moments when they were alone were spent in silence, angst or killing zombies. Now he realised that he blew the biggest and easiest chance with Jessica Day he'd probably ever get. Well done, Nick Miller.

**Question: I'm hoping you readers are happy with the direction this story is going in but I need to ask for your opinion on what I should do with the next chapter, I have ideas but is it too soon for sexy times with Nick and Jess? Please review and tell me; I want to publish a good chapter but I want you guys to be happy with it :)**


	5. Bed

"You're going to have to share a bed but I don't think either of you will mind" Cece grinned, leading Nick and Jess into their room. It wasn't the most welcoming of places. The walls were stripped to plaster, some floorboards were missing, a smashed window was letting cold air in and the only piece of furniture was the double bed.

"Oh, it'll be fine. We slept together last night so…" Jess smiled. Cece raised her eyebrows.

"Not like that! We shared a bed" Nick quickly interjected.

"And nothing happened in that bed!" Jess added.

"Whatever you say, just keep it down" Cece smirked as she left, closing the door behind her.

Silently, they laid down their bags on the bed and unpacked them. Nick had packed burritos, a few cans of beer, spare ammo and a pocket knife. They were the few necessities in Nick Miller's life and his highest priorities when packing his bag. He felt stupidly unprepared next to Jess. She'd packed various foods, a first aid kit, a phone charger, a colouring book, her toiletries bag, a change of clothes, pyjamas and the feelings stick. The feelings stick could make a pretty good weapon but Jess was very protective of her belongings; especially around Nick.

"You packed pyjamas?" He exclaimed.

"Yes I packed pyjamas, why wouldn't I pack pyjamas?" She protested.

"It's the zombie apocalypse, Jessica, and you packed pyjamas!"

"Have fun sleeping in your jeans, I'm sure they're comfortable to sleep in" She teased.

She was provoking him and having so much fun doing it. He couldn't wrestle with his feelings much longer. They could be zombies by tomorrow for all they knew so what were they waiting for? Nick pondered this as he slumped onto the bed with exhaustion. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and when he reopened them, Jess was topless and putting on her pyjama shirt. What could he do? He didn't want to be a creep but he didn't want to miss out on this. And then she unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them down. Her eyes caught his and he knew he was trapped.

"Nick, are you watching me get changed?"

"No, no, no, you were in my peripheral vision…no, no, never, I…"

"It's fine; we're going to have to get used to being this close anyway" She laughed "You may as well just take off your pants now"

His eyes widened with confusion because if Jess was being serious, his pants would be off and across the room within seconds. She noticed this and quickly reminded him she was joking.

All Jess could hear was Nick's heavy breathing as they rigidly laid side by side in the double bed. Neither could get to sleep. It was funny how often she'd fantasised about being in bed with him. But in her fantasies they were actually doing something.

"Jess…" He spoke up.

"Nick?" She replied softly.

"Did you mean it?"

"Mean what?"

"In the library, you told me that you loved me. I understand if it was just one of those last-minute things but did you actually mean it?"

There was no point denying it anymore "I did"

"Cool" He nodded "I love you too, Jess"

"Cool" Was what she was planning to say before his lips silenced her. She was weak as he grabbed her and held her tightly in his arms. He left a trail of kisses down her neck, her collarbone and her breasts as she moaned loudly. She didn't care. Suddenly, Nick stopped and looked her deeply in the eye.

"Are we gonna do this?" He whispered.

"I know you guys think you're whispering but I can hear everything from down here" Cece's voice echoed from below the floorboards. So they went back to awkwardly lying side by side with little smug smiles on their faces. Jess loved Nick. Nick loved Jess. And that made everything a lot clearer.


	6. Warehouse

"_Making my way downtown, walking fast, faces pass and I'm homebound…"_

"Jess, stop drawing attention to us!" Nick hissed. The streets were dangerous at night where you couldn't see where you were going. They hadn't a clue what was lurking in the alleyways. But Cece seemed to know what she was doing.

Earlier that morning, when Jess and Cece had gone to raid an old convenience store, they had heard news of a survivor's camp. It was some warehouse downtown where hundreds of survivors had gathered. If there was any chance Schmidt and Winston were still alive there was a good chance they were there.

Cece led the way with Nick and Jess walking behind her. For two people who had recently admitted their love for each other, things had been pretty weird lately. They didn't talk as much as they used to, they often avoiding standing near each other or being left alone together; it was weird.

"I think this is it…" They were standing in front of a massive warehouse. Its walls were tarnished with blood and a few zombie corpses littered the pavement. Jess gingerly kicked one.

"Let us in!" Nick yelled, hammering on the door to the warehouse; it rattled as he banged on it. There was no response.

"We're human, it's okay!" Cece tried as she attempted to kick the door down with her boots. There was no response.

"Hello? Is anyone there? My name is Jess Day and my friends are Nick Miller and Cece Meyers and we would really appreciate it if you let us in" Jess politely tapped on the door.

"Jess, no one is going to respond to that" Nick sighed just as the warehouse door opened a crack and a blue-eyed blonde was staring at them quizzically. He may have underestimated Jess.

"No zombie could ever speak that fluently" The stranger stated before opening the door and letting them all in. The warehouse was warm and bustling with scarred and wounded people. There were little tents set up, food laid out on tables, a few TV's.

"Wow" Nick muttered, having not seen a TV in days.

"I'm Cassie" The blonde smiled "I'm sort of in charge of guarding the door"

"I'm Jess and this is my best friend Cece and my other friend Nick" Jess smiled back.

"He's more than a friend" Cece laughed to herself.

"I'm her friend" Nick agreed with Jess.

"They say they're friends but they're kind of in love with each other" Cece said to Cassie.

"Cece!" Jess and Nick shouted "We're just friends!"

"Whatever you say…" Cassie grinned slyly "Make yourselves at home"

It was late and cold. Jess's shivers were keeping her awake as she rocked back and forth curled up in a ball. She hadn't seen Nick since they entered the camp earlier that evening. They hadn't had a proper conversation with eye contact since that night when they said they loved each other. But if he truly loved her, wouldn't he be with her right now? She didn't want to be a coward any more.

"Nick!" She chased him through the warehouse until he finally stopped and she caught up with him.

"What?" He asked, almost angrily.

"We need to talk."

"Let's talk, Jess"

"Are we a couple or are we friends? I don't feel like we're on the same page."

"We're friends" Nick began to walk away. Why was he being so dismissive?

"What the hell, Miller?" Jess was shouting now "You tell me you love me but you're too much of a coward to do anything about it? Why don't you want to give this a try?"

"Because, Jessica, it's the zombie apocalypse; in case you haven't noticed. And I care more about getting out of here alive than anything else. This isn't the time for romance and relationships. This is the time for survival"

She let him walk away this time. Jess retreated to her tent where nobody would see her cry. She once told Nick that most of her relationships ended because she was always the person who loved more; how bitterly true that was now.

"Jess?" Cece crawled into the tent where she found her best friend hiding like a toddler who'd just thrown a tantrum. Jess rested her head on Cece's lap and they sat there for a while; Jess silently sobbing and Cece stroking her hair.

"Maybe he didn't actually love me. Maybe he thought I was his last chance of ever finding someone to love before he got his brains eaten"

"He loves you. Haven't you seen the way he looks at you? How his face lights up when you enter a room? How amused he is by your terrible jokes? How laidback he can be with you?"

"Cece, stop trying to make me feel better"

"I'm not trying to make you feel better. I'm being honest with you. No matter where Nick goes, who he meets, what he does; he will always come back to you. That's how love works"

"Since when did you know everything about love?" Jess snapped and regretted it immediately. She knew how sensitive Cece was about these kinds of things. Shivrang had died trying to save her life. Cece always stiffened up whenever Jess tried to talk about it. It was as if she was afraid of her own feelings. Schmidt was missing and everybody knew that Cece would never get over him. There wasn't much left for her. She didn't have anything or anybody to fight for. And Jess had Nick but she was taking him for granted. It made Cece furious.

"I'm sorry" Jess quickly apologised.

"It's fine."

Jess had breakfast by herself that morning. Cece sat a few seats down and Nick was on the complete opposite end of the table. She felt guilty for everything she'd said the night before; she'd single-handedly destroyed her relationships with the only two people left in her life. A bearded old man took a seat next to her; he bit into his apple loudly.

"So why are you here, sweetheart?" He asked.

"I'm looking for two of my best friends; they went missing a few weeks ago. You don't suppose they could be here?"

"Perhaps…"

"I need to know!" Jess's hopes were slowly creeping up. The thought of Schmidt and Winston safe and sound made her heart race.

"I can't tell you but I know someone who can…"

"Who?"

"His name's Doug. He's in charge around here. You never see him though, that's his thing."

"Take me to him"

The old man hobbled towards a room at the back of the warehouse. Jess, Nick and Cece followed him eagerly; keeping their distance from each other. The man knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Doug called.

The door opened and Jess, Nick and Cece entered cautiously. The room was a dark lair with a dim light bulb hanging from the ceiling. Doug was lying in a hammock that hung from one wall to the other. He wore a scruffy hooded top that covered his hair, his messy stubble hid away most of his face and his blue eyes were watery. He was familiar to all of them; they'd met him before, they just didn't know where or why.

"This is Doug." The old man left, giving them some privacy.

"He's not called Doug." Nick stated flatly.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

**Thank you for all the continued support for this story, I know this chapter is very full of angst but it will all lead up to something big. Don't be afraid to tell me what you think and what you'd like to see happen :) **


	7. Schmidt

"Schmidt?"

"Friends!" He stood up, opening his arms wide to embrace them but nobody reciprocated his welcome. They were all too speechless to move. This man was kooky and unkempt but it was the same Schmidt they knew and loved.

"You've grown a beard and renamed yourself 'Doug'. Where is the Douchebag Jar when you need it?" Nick uttered.

Jess and Cece both rushed to Schmidt and hugged him. He hugged back; he had thought he'd never see Jess or Nick again and he had been even more sure that he wouldn't see Cece again. Yet they were here. Everyone was here but Winston.

"Jess, Nick; it's great to see you've found your way into my survivor's camp. Cecelia, even with the zombie apocalypse descending on us, you manage to stay beautiful. I can't believe you guys are all here!" Schmidt grinned widely.

"We can't believe you're here!" Jess was still astonished.

"It's good to have you back, buddy" Nick smiled; Schmidt greeted him with an unwanted kiss "How did you manage to lead a survivor's camp?"

"I was a born leader, Nicholas. These people know a head baller when they see one…"

Jess had missed Schmidt and his ridiculous antics. She'd missed his lame catchphrases and fashion advice. She'd missed having someone to talk to when she felt down and confused about Nick. And if they had Schmidt; they wouldn't be far off Winston. Right?

"Where's Winston?" Jess asked; expecting him to magically appear from behind the door.

"I don't know…" Schmidt sighed "I lost him"

"You lost Winston?" Nick wasn't happy.

"We were in a large group, we made our way up here, not everybody managed…"

"Are you saying Winston is…" Nick didn't want to say the word, knowing it would destroy all his hopes in a split-second.

Schmidt shrugged "Maybe"

The room fell silent.

"Are you guys coming to the meeting?" Cassie stuck her head around the door "It's in 5 minutes…"

Jess felt numb. She had a pounding headache, the room was spinning and nothing made sense. Winston could be a zombie. Nick probably didn't feel the way about her that she did about him. Schmidt was the leader of a survivor's camp and Cece hadn't said a word to her since the night before. Maybe now was a convenient time to get her brains eaten; it wouldn't make much difference to the state of her life.

All the remaining survivors stood around a small steel table with wobbly legs; a map of Los Angeles was set out across it. The lights were dim and the crowd were all doubtfully mumbling to each other. Jess didn't know what was happening or why this meeting had been called but she was about to find out.

"Okay, listen up!" Schmidt took his place at the head of the table. "We've got a problem. We're running low on supplies, specifically food. There's enough to last us all for today and then there's nothing left. We need a team to venture out there and get us what we need…and we need it fast"

Everybody took a step back from the table. It was a suicide mission. The infected population had increased in the area and one could only dread what was waiting for the healthy survivors behind the warehouse's steel walls.

"Fine." Nick growled, stepping back towards the table. There were a few gasps and hushed whispers as he bravely volunteered. Jess wanted to join him, she wanted an excuse to stand next to him, to fight with him, to talk to him. But another part of her was too much of a chicken and that part would always win.

"I'll join him!" Cassie smiled as she stood by Nick's side; beaming at him. Jess could feel her blood boiling. She didn't want to be replaced; especially not by a girl like Cassie.

"We still need at least another volunteer" Schmidt sighed.

"Count me in!" Jess confidently stepped forward; shocking almost everybody at the table "I wouldn't want Nick and Cassie getting too comfy together"

She grinned slyly at Nick who blankly stared at her.

"Are you sure about this, Jessica?"

"I'm 100% sure, Nicholas"


End file.
